I Can't Handle Large Crowds
by RandomFavoriteCouples
Summary: There are some sexual implications in here but they are very minor until the end, but nothing dirty happens. Post Cyber Sleuth. Ami strongly dislike crowds, her anxiety goes straight through the roof. Ami also loves her friends so she faces her dislike of crowds to go to clubs with them and make sure they got home okay. However, one night changes everything.


**Title: I Can't Handle Large Crowds**

 **Category: Digimon**

 **Pairing: Ami/Arata**

 **Rating: T**

 **Summary: There are some sexual implications in here but they are very minor until the end, but nothing dirty happens. Post Cyber Sleuth. Ami strongly dislike crowds, her anxiety goes straight through the roof. Ami also loves her friends so she faces her dislike of crowds to go to clubs with them and make sure they got home okay. However, one night changes everything.**

 **Author's Note: I am not an expert on anxiety attacks. I did some research over it so I am hoping that this represents it at least a little bit truthfully. If I offend someone who has it, I don't mean too.**

 **Disclaimer: I own no rights to the franchise.**

 **~~Story Begins~~**

Ami strongly disliked crowds, it is one of the reasons as to why she only has Ryota and Sakura as her friends at school. She couldn't handle sitting in the cafeteria nor could she handle being in a club.

She thinks it is her subconscious that makes it hard for her to breathe. She's been abandoned twice in large crowds before, two times in fact. Both by her father. The first time was when she was two and he left her at a mall during a big shopping event. Security found her, called the police, and then called her father. She was lucky that her mother answered his digivice and hell was raised by her. At least, that's what Ami's grandmother often told her.

Ami doesn't know much about the second time. All she knows is that she was five, standing outside at a concert at night, her father leaving her alone surrounded by rowdy young adults. Luckily for Ami, one of her mother's friends saw her and took her home. Apparently, her mother was fit to be tied again and that was the last time she ever saw her father again.

Ami pushed herself off the brick wall with a sigh as she came back into the present. She's not completely calmed down, her hands are still trembling slightly, her breathing has slowed down but it's still a little bit too fast, however, she's no longer feels chilly which no one would believe her in this hot and humid weather, and she no longer feels dizzy. She feels her neck, finding her pulse and realizes it is still quick but not to terribly bad.

"Ha, caught it in time," Ami says proudly to herself. Another five minutes out here and she'll be fine, but she's already left her friends in there for ten minutes unattended for.

She patted her skirt's pocket and felt the familiar weight of keys resting in there. She's old enough to drive but not old enough to drink, it doesn't bother her. She likes to be the reliable one the one who carries responsibilities so it gives her friends a chance to unwind and let loose.

She walked back inside the stifling, loud, crowded club, her blue eyes scanning the dance floor. She sees Nokia and Yuuko dancing with two men behind them. Yuugo was sitting down at their table, head on the table with a beer glass in his hand, she couldn't spot the owner of the keys through.

"It would be my luck to find him with a pretty lady friend," Ami grumbled as she walked to their table and woke Yuugo. "Yuugo, wake up, it's time to head home."

Black glazed over eyes looked at Ami as they opened, "Huh?"

"C'mon," Ami said with smile. "It's time to go home. You can sleep in the car while I gather the other three."

"Oshay," Yuugo spoke sitting up and went to stand up. Ami quickly wrapped his arm around her neck while her's wrapped around his waist. When Yuugo was drunk, he was the most trustworthy person you'll ever meet and he remembers everything. You could tell him that birds are dragons in disguise and he'll try to catch one so he could have a pet dragon. He's still trying to catch a wild bird by himself.

She walked him out to the five person vehicle, two in the front and three in the back, and unlocked the vehicle. She placed Yuugo in the back seat before using the remote start to turn the vehicle on, letting the A/C blast.

"Yuugo, I'll be back," Ami told him. "I need to get the other three, okay?" He nodded his head in response before Ami shut the door and he passed out.

She looked at the dance floor and saw Nokia and Yuuko were still there, but no sign of her missing friend. She walked over to the dance floor to talk to them. "Yuuko, Nokia, have you seen Arata?"

"He was sitting at the bar," Nokia said. "Talking to someone on his digivice."

"That was the beginning," Yuuko said. "A pretty red head took him to the back. She seemed to be petting him hard."

When Nokia was drunk, she was more sexual always bringing a good time to her boyfriend and a drunk Yuuko wasn't as shy or quiet, but these two girls knew Ami's secrets, much like how she knows theirs. When they were drunk however, Nokia and Yuuko forgot all about secrets but they never blab them out, they were just blunt about things that they would otherwise skirt around.

They wouldn't just tell Ami that he was with another female if they were sober, but since they were drunk, they wouldn't register that Ami's heart broke even more than it was before.

"I'm going to get him then come back for you two," Ami said leaving the girls to go back to their dancing as she headed to the back of the club.

"You came back!" a voice said from behind Ami causing her to turn around and stare at her once missing friend. Arata hugged her tightly, laughing, "I knew you'd come back. You wouldn't ever leave me behind!"

A drunk Arata was a laughing, talkative, Arata who enjoyed touching. He was right about her not leaving him behind, it was hard when he is the one who owns the car they use to get here, the one who she pickpockets the keys from. "Of course, c'mon, everyone is getting ready to go home."

Arata nuzzles her neck with a sigh, taking in the scent of sakura blossoms and a brief thought enters his mind about why she smells different than before. "Let them wait, I have the keys and I've missed you! You left me alone for a while."

Ami found her back pressed against the wall, Arata using his height over her as he lifted his head and a smirk was on his face. "C'mon, how about one more kiss, hm?" he asked.

Ami's eyes widened, he had her confused over the other red-hair lady. He leaned down breathing on her face before pressing his lips against hers. Her heart didn't break, it shattered like glass. She could hear the pieces of her heart clatter to the metaphorical ground.

Ami's hand lifted as Arata closed his eyes, she spread her fingers out and a whoosh of air was possibly the only slight warning he had before -

 _ **SMACK!**_

Arata pulled back in surprise giving Ami enough time to grab his collar, her blue eyes were like ice daggers coming at him, her tears patiently waiting until she got home. "Don't you ever think about kissing me when you are drunk again!" Ami hissed at him.

Another important fact about Arata when he's drunk, he forgets everything that happened the night of getting drunk. It was like a someone was taking a sledgehammer and smashing the broken pieces of her heart into small pieces.

She let go of his collar and grabbed his hood, forcing the taller man to walk backwards. She took him out to his own car and placed him in the passenger seat, really wishing she could put him in the back, but the two girls get motion sickness when drunk and in the passenger seat.

"Get buckle in and stay," Ami ordered before closing the door and locking it.

"Ami!" Arata whined in the car waking Yuugo up. "You was enjoying it ten minutes ago!"

"Whast hap'en?" Yuugo asked.

"Ami and I were making out ten minutes, than her boyfriend came and she left! She came back and I started kissing her again," Arata explained. "I didn't even know she had a boyfriend!"

"Yoush wrong," Yuugo stated. "Ami wash outside ten' min'tes go. Shesh tellith me thish," Yuugo's eyes closed as he started going back to sleep. "Yoush 'ad a noth'r prutty gurl ith yous. Ami's pruttier."

"Hmph, that might explain as the two different tastes and scents," Arata said.

Nokia and Yuuko got in the backseat giggling as Ami helped them buckle in before getting in the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition.

After dropping everyone off, Arata being the last one she takes home so she could drop off his car and keys. She helped Arata into his apartment who was trying to talk to her but she ignored him. She walked out onto the street, knowing that Arata won't come after her due to the couch or bed looking so inviting.

She called the taxi and waited outside for it to arrive before getting in. "You look a little young to be out at four in the morning, young lady," the cab driver said as he started driving towards her destination.

"I was out with some friends, it's a monthly thing," Ami explained. "I make sure they get home okay."

The cab driver looked at her through his rearview mirror, "That's very smart and honorable of you, but what about yourself? You could easily stay at one of their places I'm guessing."

"I drive one of my friend's car so they can all be home and my friend goes with us and he doesn't know I drive his vehicle when they are all drunk."

"He must know."

"No, he remembers driving there but he thinks he drove us all home because I leave him his keys. When he gets drunk, he forgets everything that happens once he starts drinking the next morning."

They got to her destination and the cab driver gave her his card, "Here, just call me when you are out late at night again or if you just want someone to talk to. Don't worry about the fare this trip."

"Thanks," Ami said taking the card. "Are you sure you don't want me to pay?"

"I'm sure. I drive a lot of young people at this time of night that have been partying, I have drove a lot of older people too. Not a single one of them is as responsible as what you are after partying. You actually made my night easier by making sure they got home and inside safely."

"Thank you," Ami said. "Have a good night and drive safe."

The next morning, Arata groaned as he woke up, not from the hangover headache, but from a stinging sensation on his right cheek. He slowly got up off of his bed so he get some over the counter painkillers from his bathroom and a cup of water.

He licked his lips and blinked in surprise, he could taste the faint traces of booze which was expected, but there was a different refreshing taste of mint lemonade.

"I should really cut back," Arata commented to himself, "because one of these times, I'm going to do something I regret."

It wasn't until that afternoon, he received a call from Nokia. "What did I do this time?" he asked. Nokia. Nokia wouldn't call him unless he did something incredibly stupid the night before, especially if they went out to a club. How she remembers or knows, he doesn't know and he has no intention of finding out.

"Don't you think that your feelings for Ami has gone a little bit out of control?" Nokia asked crossing her arms.

"The only reason as to why you know is because you overheard me tell Yuugo," Arata said with a glare which wasn't all that convincing since he had a giant handprint on his cheek.

"True, but you also kissed two pretty ladies with red hair last night as well," Nokia commented.

"Damn, damn it," Arata said. "Was one of them, Ami?"

Nokia shrugged, she honestly didn't know. She was friends with the bartenders there and just telling Arata what she was told. "I'm guessing one of them is the one who slapped you. There is another reason as to why I called you."

"Which is?"

"Have you heard from Ami today?"

"No, why?"

"No one has heard from her today. Kyoko usually gives her the day after our monthly clubbing off too. I was just curious. Well, talk to you later."

Arata looked at his digivice. He might as well try calling her and see if he gets response. He sent her a quick message, asking if she's busy and if she is, to call him when she has a chance.

Ami looked at her digivice as it got fully charged, a towel was wrapped around her still wet red hair. She let her digivice died last night as she cried herself to sleep. She didn't wake up until two hours ago and that's when she decided to get her digivice charging before pampering herself to a bath for an hour, than a shower, than she decided on a whim to get dressed up.

She went ahead and messaged Nokia, Yuugo, and Yuuko that she was fine and okay. Let them know that her digivice died and and that she woke up not to long ago. She lingered over the call button on Arata, unsure if she could handle seeing him after last night. She messaged him letting him know that he can call her in a couple of minutes.

Arata looked at his digivice and called her. Her image appeared in the holographic image and he stared. Her red hair was tied up into a yellow towel but she was wearing a yellow tank top, he's never seen her in anything else except for her usual outfit.

"How are you feeling?" Ami asked.

"Terrible, like I do everyday after we party," Arata replied. "I actually want to know something."

"Oh?"

"Did I do anything stupid last night?" Arata asked.

Ami did not want to have this conversation, not when her heart was still in shattered, smashed pieces. She didn't have to make it awkward for him through. "Not really, I don't think. I know you started kissing another girl until her boyfriend got mad. Than you hugged another girl which I am guessing is the girl who gave you that slap there. That looks painful, by the way."

"It is, but I'm used to the stinging by now. Nokia said that there were rumours going around about me kissing two girls last night."

"You might have, you wasn't always within my field of vision," Ami said. She didn't tell Nokia or Yuugo or Yuuko about it. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Perfectly fine," Arata said mentally let out a sigh of relief. "You can't always keep watch over the four of us."

"I don't mind it, but I guess I just need to pay more attention," Ami said. If only her anxiety attacks didn't have a trigger with crowds and loud noises, but it's not like she can control her anxiety. That would be too convenient for her. It was easier when she had her Digimon, but with them gone and almost out of remembrance in practically everyone, she was left alone.

"You look different," Arata said. "I mean, nice different. I didn't interrupt you getting ready for a date tonight, did I?"

Arata saw her eyes narrowed. "No, but I didn't realize that I needed a reason to look different, especially a nice different." She hung up on him. She threw her digivice onto her bed, grabbed her pillow and screamed into it. She didn't want to cry any more tears, not when the pieces of her heart felt like elephants were trampling them.

Arata looked at his digivice in confusion. "I didn't mean it as an insult, it was supposed to be a compliment."

Two months later, a week after the five did their monthly partying, Nokia called the group all excitedly. "Guys, guys, you'll never guess what news I bring!" Nokia said.

Arata really wished he didn't have class in fifteen minutes. He hasn't really had a chance to talk to Ami. She won't even talk to him when they go out partying, always having her nose in a book, telling him to leave her alone. "I have class in fifteen minutes," Arata said. "So hurry up and tell us."

"Fine, geek," Nokia said with a huff.

"I have class in ten minutes," Ami said. "You picked a bad time to call, Nokia."

"You are at school today?" Nokia asked surprised. "Oh yeah. You have that mandatory graduation meeting today. Never mind. You deal with good news number one, Ami has been accepted into five of the fifteen colleges she accepted into. All allowing her to take online classes so she can continue working."

"Congratulations," Yuuko said.

"Thanks, however I am still waiting for the two colleges that I'm hoping to get into accept me," Ami said looking away.

"Good news number 2," Nokia said. "I'm engaged! Yasu asked me last night!"

"Congratulations," Ami and Yuuko said.

"So, I say the six of us since Yasu is going to be included in all of our goings, that we go out to celebrate tonight!"

"Today is a Wednesday," Yuugo said.

"Exactly, so it won't be so busy!" Nokia said.

Later that afternoon, Arata knocked on Ami's door to pick her up. "It's open, Arata," Ami called out to him. He walked in and shut the door. She was in the living room looking through envelopes before looking up at Arata. "Hey."

"Hey, anything good?" he asked.

"Most of the stuff are bills that I need to let mom know about," Ami said sitting the envelopes down. She looked back at him, "Sorry about the last couple of months. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was avoiding you. Kyoko and I, we just got swamped all of the sudden, and then with finals coming up."

"It's fine. I graduated not to long ago, I know how it is," Arata said with a frown. "Just don't wear yourself thin, okay?" He then flicked her forehead. Something in which he did often with her when she started pushing herself too much. A reminder that she wasn't alone. "Just ask me to help you study okay?"

"You have your own subjects to focus on," Ami said.

"Ami."

"Fine..fine," Ami said in defeat a smile on her face, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am. Let's go," Arata said.

Ami followed him and closed her apartment door. Her heart was slowly healing, slowly straightening out the trampled pieces before they start taping themselves back together.

Later in the evening, Arata was sitting at the bar, drinking his glass of water. He couldn't afford to miss school or work tomorrow so he was laying off of the alcohol tonight. It was busy through, like how it is every Friday they come here for their monthly get together.

His eyes scanned the crowd, he spotted Nokia dancing with Yasu, Yuuko was talking to a guy. His eyes narrowed as he tried to find Ami and Yuugo. He's already lost two of his friends and he has no idea how in the world Ami did this for them. He finally spotted Yuugo sitting at their table swirling his drink around in his glass. Now where's Ami? He looked around again, not seeing her, but when he looked past the table, he spotted her talking to Yuugo. He watched Yuugo nod his head and than Ami left the table. Arata followed her with his eyes and stared confused as she walked outside.

She wouldn't be stupid enough to walk home in this weather, not in this heat. Plus, he still had his keys to his vehicle in his pocket. He felt the pocket for his keys but they weren't there. He checked his other pockets and there was no keys.

"Damn," Arata said. He knew he had them earlier, he drove Ami and himself here. Yasu and Nokia picked up the Kamishiro twins.

He walked over to the table and spoke to Yuugo, "Yuugo, have you seen my keys?"

Yuugo looked at his friends with slightly glazed eyes, "You aren't drinking tonight?"

"No, don't feel like it and I can't afford to miss school and work tomorrow. My keys?"

They've been here for three hours and Arata only had one glass of sake and that was within thirty minutes of them being here. "Ami," Yuugo said.

"What?"

"Ami has your keys. Just like she does every time we go out. She also has Yuuko's digivice, Nokia's digivice and clutch, Yasu's wallet, and my digivice plus wallet. She's our caretaker."

"I can understand everything else but my keys? How does she get them?"

"I always figured you gave them to her," Yuugo said. "Considering she isn't old enough to drink."

"No, I don't. I keep them in my pocket."

"How do you not know this? Doesn't Ami stay over at your apartment? You are the last one that she drops off."

Arata shook his head, "No, but that explains as to why my keys are always in the wrong place."

"Interesting, I wonder where she goes than to stay in those early mornings," Yuugo wondered.

"How do you know about this?" Arata asked.

"Ah, I forgot. When you start drinking and get drunk, you forget everything. On the way to drop Yuuko and I off, Nokia asked her about it. Apparently, she drops Yuuko and me off first and help us to our beds, than repeats the process with Nokia if Yasu isn't there, and then you."

"Thanks," Arata said.

"No problem."

Arata left the table and saw Ami returning inside. He walked over to her as she went to the bar. She received her order of water when Arata grabbed her arm and spun her around, scaring her.

"Damn it, Arata!" Ami yelled. "Don't do that!"

"Wow, sheesh, calm down," Arata said with an annoyed but curious look. It was the first time he's heard her cuss.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" she breathed out trying to slow down her rapid breathing, trying to calm her heartbeat. She gripped his arm that had released her arm and he stared at her. She was trembling but even when her breathing seemed back to normal, she was still trembling as she let go of his arm. She looked at him, "You absolutely, positively, DO NOT scare someone who is about to have an anxiety attack, okay?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Sorry for cussing."

"You have anxiety?" Arata questioned.

"Crowds is sometimes a trigger. Crowds with loud noises, especially loud music, is almost always a trigger," Ami explained looking at him. "Usually it doesn't affect me until much later into the night but I was with Nokia almost all day except for two minutes before you came to pick me up. So I didn't have time to take my pills for it." She shook her head. "Enough about that and don't worry about it, what did you need?"

"My keys," Arata responded standing next to her and leaned against the bar.

"Have you been drinking?"

"Just that one sake I had when we got here," Arata responded. "I'm not like the others who can afford to miss school and work. How do you get them anyway?"

"I pick pocket them. It's safer than having drunk you drive."

"Well aren't you a sneaky little thief, but can you please ask from now on so I don't panic?" Arata asked as Ami took his keys out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"Gladly," Ami said trying to smile.

Arata watched her press two fingers against her wrist, "Would it help if you leave?"

"I just came back being outside," Ami said after a minute.

"I mean, leave the place all together."

"That would help out a lot, like you have no idea how much it will help out but I can't," Ami said with a sigh. "I don't know how Yasu gets when he's drunk, before you ask yes I have his keys. Nokia told him to hand it to me and he did. Yuugo is getting there, after four more drinks he will be there, Nokia is already drunk from the way she's dancing with Yasu, and Yuuko is one drink away from being drunk."

Arata blinked and stared at her, "How do you know all of this?"

"I observed, watch, look for patterns and signs. Usually when you and the others are drunk is when I usually call it a night and start getting all of you ready to head home," Ami said.

The next week, Arata was hanging out with Ami at her apartment. He was helping her studying but they were taking a small break. "You know, we are going to plan something for your birthday," Arata said. "If you let Nokia plan it, it is going to be with a crowd and she will make sure alcohol is involved."

Ami looked up from her mail towards Arata, "Are you worrying about me now since you learned I have anxiety?"

"We ALL worry about you," Arata replied. "You are too soft-hearted to tell us you can't stand crowds and want to do something else."

"Why should I ruin the one night where all of you relax and unwind?" Ami asked.

"Seriously? I was only there trying to help you watch our friends that one night and I lost everyone three times," Arata said as he got up and walked over to her. "You didn't lose them at all!" Ami just looked up at him as he stood in front of her. "Do you have any idea how stressed I was with that and than driving them home? It's insane and the fact that you've done all of this for so long without complaining." He grabbed her shoulders, "You need a chance to unwind yourself, you need to relax."

Ami smiled, she thought it was sweet that he was worried about her, and if it wasn't for her heart trying to piece itself back together before it starts to tape itself together, it would be beating fast.

"I'm fine," Ami said shrugging his hands off of her shoulders. She looked back down at her mail, putting some envelopes off to the side so she didn't see the confused expression on Arata's face. "Now, you'll be over worrying about me and I don't want that. It kind of defeats the purpose of relaxing don't you think? I did already tell Nokia that I want a small party with the five of us and that no alcohol is going to be involved."

Arata looked over at the mail that she sat down, "Why did my school send you a letter?" He asked as she sat the rest of her mail.

"I applied there for college," Ami responded moving that letter aside to get to the one below it.

"You also applied for a school in England?"

"No, I applied for a school in Austria," Ami said opening the foreign country one. "One of the three schools Mom asked me to apply too." She placed that one down and opened the other one. "Your school is one of the two schools that I'm hoping I can get accepted into."

'Well, did you?" Arata asked.

He was taken back as Ami hugged him, her arms wrapping around his neck causing his nose to take in a couple breaths of how she smells like cherry blossoms. Ami pulled away from the hug before Arata could respond. "Yes I did. Now I just need to hear back from the other college and I'll make my choice."

Arata watched as she went to place the two letters with the other letters she has received from the colleges shes applied too. There was something familiar about having her body pressed closed to him in a hug, but there was something else familiar about the way she smelled like cherry blossoms too. For some weird reason, he thought of cherry blossoms which brought up mint lemonade, than upon thinking about mint lemonade, he thought about Ami.

Arata shook his head, she would've told him if he kissed her. She is that open with him and everyone. Than again, she did hide that she has anxiety. Now that he thinks about it, she explained as to how everyone else acts when they are drunk, but he never explained as to how he acts. Yuugo explained that he forgot everything the night of drinking but what else does he do when he's drunk?

It was the beginning of summer break, the six friends were at a concert that didn't have alcohol but it was almost like it was when she last saw her father. Ami did try to refuse coming to the concert once she learned that it was inside a building and not outside where she could escape, but Yuuko wanted to do this and she's been looking forward to it.

Ami just couldn't refuse a cute looking Yuuko when she's mad and flustered. Neither could Arata from the scene of it since he tried to refuse too, but once Ami agreed and Yuuko's attention was focused on him...it didn't take him long to break.

Ami did try to avoid the crowd, to have a spot where she could relive the past and try to distract herself from the attack, but there wasn't anywhere for her to truly go.

"It's just me," Arata said from behind her as he grabbed her wrist. He frowned as he felt how bad she was trembling. "I've found a way outside."

Ami followed Arata - she was being dragged at first but she didn't have much choice. She was beginning to feel the sensation of being choked. She was truly close to an attack, another minute in here and she'll be in full blown anxiety attack mood. For now, he was her lifeline and she was going to take it.

Arata led her to the back of the of the concert and out the doors, "Sir and ma'am, you do know that by leaving - " the security guard started to say.

"We can't go back in, that's fine," Arata said as he kept leading Ami away. That's why she never left, she didn't want to disappoint Yuuko. He led her to his vehicle, as far away from judging eyes. He looked at her and frowned, she was pale, sweaty, her breaths coming in short pants, her skin was chilly, she was trembling, and from just holding her wrist, he could feel that her pulse was way too quick. "Ami, deep breaths."

She shook her head and fought out the words, "I can't.'

"Yes, you can," he prompted as he pulled her close. "Just match your breathing to mine."

"Distract me," Ami said trying to match his breathing. It was hard, not just because of her anxiety which was the more major problem, but the man who she's had feelings for, the one who unintentionally and unknowingly broke her heart, was hugging her. He voluntarily allowed her to be in his personal space, more like forcing her to be in his personal space, as he held her against his chest. This was the man who hated his personal space being invaded.

"Distract you?" Arata asked. He felt her head nod against his chest. "How?"

"Don't care," Ami said. "Distractions is the best and easier way to let this pass."

Arata's mind instantly shut down, he could think of many ways to distract her, but none of them were appropriate for her right now, especially since she needed to breathe and kissing her like he's been tempted to would not let her breathe. So, he went into his 'geek' mood and started talking about this anime that he enjoyed. He went through the whole entire series just rambling.

"Thanks," Ami said completely relaxed. She was relaxed halfway through his series but even through her heart is trying to heal, she still loves him and she didn't want to ruin this moment. It was a rare moment and she was going to savor it every second of it, in which she did.

She pulled away and looked at the building that the concert was in. "So, we can't go back to it, can't we?"

"No, but it doesn't matter," Arata said letting Ami go. She looked a lot better than what she did when they went outside. "The music sucked and neither of us wanted to go to it in the first place."

"Yuuko was looking forward to it," Ami said sadly.

"Yeah about that, I kind of told her that you have anxiety," Arata said. "She wanted to know if you was okay and if there was a reason you took off like you did."

"It was going to be found out eventually," Ami said with a sigh. "My anxiety specialized doctor can't see me until January so I can try and get new medicine." Arata watched as Ami wrapped her arms around her waist. "Nokia is the only one who doesn't know."

"Yuugo knows?"

"Yuugo is the first person to tell that too when drunk, he accepts everything as reality without asking questions. He's literally the most trustworthy person ever when drunk," Ami said before giggling. "He's still trying to catch a wild bird by himself."

"Why is he doing that?"

"You told them that they are dragons in disguise and there had to be set restrictions before they would come out of their disguise," Ami said. "Both of you were drunk and I was trying to get Yuugo into the car."

Arata leaned against his vehicle, "You have yet to explain to me on how I am when I'm drunk."

Ami tensed a little and looked at him, "Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity, mostly," Arata said with a shrug.

Ami bit her bottom lip gently. "You are a complete 180 of your usual self." Arata just stared at her blankly and blinked. "You are a chirper, talkative, laughing, hugging, Arata. I quit counting after the fifteenth hug you gave me and that was when I was still learning on how you act when drunk."

Well, that explains as to why her body being pressed against him in a hug is familiar along with the scent of cherry blossoms. It doesn't explain about the haunting taste of mint lemonade and why it always brings his mind to her. "I wasn't expecting that," he said with a frown.

'I've noticed something, you haven't gotten drunk in a while," Ami commented now leaning against his vehicle. 'If the reason behind that is because you learned I have anxiety and what the triggers are, I'm not talking to you ever again."

It was a lie, a blunt lie, they both knew it.

"I just don't want to get slapped that hard again," Arata commented with a shrug. He won't tell her that the taste of mint lemonade haunts him still to this day and it always brings his thoughts to her. "It sort of reminded me of the punch you gave me, but this one left a mark."

He didn't notice Ami visibly finch as a comfortable silence passed between them.

"Hey, Ami," Arata said. "Before I led you out here, were you -"

"It was on the fine line of being a full blown anxiety attack," Ami said knowing what he wanted to ask without it being weird. "I started to feel like I chocking and it was getting worse, I was close to grabbing my neck, fall to my knees, and cry. That's how my anxiety attacks usually end up being when I'm experiencing it fully. If you was a second later getting me out of there, I would have had one. Thank you for getting me out of there when you did."

"Here is a prime example of why we worry about you," Arata said. "You would have tried to stay in there so you wouldn't hurt Yuuko's feelings."

"I didn't want to ruin it for her," Ami said sadly and looking down. "I did anyway so I guess it doesn't matter."

It's been a year now since Arata received that mysterious slap and started to control how much he drank. He still doesn't know why that slap made such an impact on him as much as mint lemonade, but it did. Ami was on new medicine that helped her anxiety so much, but she still keeps an eye on her friends and Arata is slowly learning what signs to look for.

Arata watched as a man was talking to Ami, rubbing her arm, twirling her hair around his fingers. She's tried to pull away from him, but the man was persistent every time Ami wasn't around Arata and Arata was getting tired of it. His eyes narrowed as the man leaned down and proceeded to whisper something in her ear.

That was all Arata seen as he went outside to calm his anger. He didn't need to start a fight in their regular club and cause Ami any trouble.

He missed Ami kneeing the man's stomach hard causing him to go down to his knees. "I'm not really this violent," Ami said to the man, "but I kept telling you no." She moved away from the bar and looked around. "I really need to quit paying so much attention to Sakura's matches."

Arata had his eyes closed, taking deep breaths. For a while, he's been questioning if the feelings are mutual and now he thinks they aren't. He's trying to revisit each little detail he thought was a sign and reanalyzing it, trying to find a reason why she would do that.

"If you are counting the bricks, there is fifteen. Where you are leaning against there is sixteen, but since you are glaring at them, I'm guessing you aren't counting them," Ami's voice said from beside him. He turned his head to stare at her. When did he open his eyes? "So," Ami said as she continued speaking, "what has gotten you into your anger mode?"

Arata watched as she leaned against the wall opposite from hin. "It's nothing," he grumbled. "Just needed fresh air."

"While I will agree that the air is stifling in there," Ami said, "I doubt that's why you are trying to burn two holes into the building behind me."

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. What's wrong?"

"Drop it, please?"

Ami tilted her head before she pushed herself off the wall and stood in front of him. "Arata," she spoke in a whisper resting one of her hands against his cheek. It wasn't all that hard to feel the tension between them and he knew it she could feel it too. "Tell me, please."

He flipped them around and pressed Ami to the wall, his hands rested by her shoulders, preventing her from escaping, especially with his body so close to hers, a knee in between her legs. He had her trapped.

"It's called jealousy," Arata said to her. "That man just kept touching you, rubbing your arm, twirling your hair, I couldn't stand it anymore, especially with how he kept hovering around you, I couldn't stand it." He rested his head against her shoulder. "I didn't want to start a fight."

"Arata," Ami said gently, her voice filled with warmth.

"I'm not drunk," Arata said, "but I'm about to do something stupid. Please forgive me."

He lifted his head up and proceeded to kiss her gently. His plan was to take it soft and slow, not to scare her, but there was two things he wasn't expecting. The fact that Ami was responding back to the kiss and the taste of mint lemonade that has been haunting him for the last year. That's when he got braver with the kiss with a small growl before the gentle kiss turned into a hungry and wet kiss. His hands went down towards her waist and lifted her up with ease, making his knee more noticeable against her flesh. His hands went under her shirt resting against her slim waist until it started to raise higher, giving in a little bit to his more quick action mind but still keeps himself rationale.

A small tug on his hair distracted him from the goosebumps forming on her skin that he was causing and that's when he started to feel the burning of his lungs and he pulled away from the kiss to retrieve some oxygen before he started talking to her in a harsh whisper, "I kissed you a year ago when I was drunk, why didn't you tell me?"

"What exactly was I supposed to tell you without it feeling awkward?" Ami asked back, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangled into his usually knotted hair. "Do you have any idea how bad my heart broke the following months because of it?" She placed a gentle kiss on his right cheek, "I didn't mean to slap you that hard last year."

Arata rested his forehead against hers, she may be soft-hearted and kissed him back due to being a good friend this time but the fact that she admitted to her heartbreaking, that she was the one who slapped him and that she wasn't pulling away, even when he had bunched her shirt up exposing her stomach. She wouldn't keep him hanging like this.

"Tell me to stop," he started to say in a whisper as he closed his eyes in fear, "tell me to go to hell, slap me again, do anything to -"

He lost his voice and nerves as he felt her hands leave his hair, his body shaking as he thinks she's accepting the chance to escape that she's given him. Than he felt pressure on his shoulder and one on his cheek.

"Arata," she said gently, "can you kindly please stop talking and kiss me again?"

His eyes snapped open and stared at her, before she pressed her lips against him gently. He quickly changed it as he took control over the kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth as a small gasp escaped her. He sat her back down onto the ground and pulled her shirt down before resting his hands somewhat innocently on her hips.

"I don't think I can take you home tonight," Arata whispered into her ear after they pulled away from the kiss, holding her close to him.

"Why?"

"Because you deserve a couple of dates first, if I take you home tonight, I might just pounce on you," Arata said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I have a taxi friend that I can call to take our friends home," Ami said looking up at Arata. "I'll let him know I'll pay him extra for helping them get inside their houses."

"Ami," Arata said.

"So let's leave them to deal with the suffering of a terrible hangover they've never experienced before because I always stopped it from getting that far," Ami continued as she pulled away from Arata and dangling his keys on her finger in the air. She felt a sudden heat pool in her stomach at the way his narrowed eyes were looking at her and the way his lips curled into his smirk. "Besides, a friend keeps saying that I need a chance to relax and unwind. So take me home."

He grabbed the keys from her, "With pleasure."

He might have control over the kisses and the pleasure filled gasps and moans he discovers on her body, but in all honestly, she's the one who controls his heart.

 **~~The End~~**


End file.
